AUDITORS are to investigate a claim that councillors have gone back on a promise to spend £1million in the Bank Top area of Blackburn.

The complaint was made by Eddie Duxbury and Peter Newton, who were officers of Bank Top Community Association, Blackburn, when it was dissolved in 2001 because of financial irregularities.

Now the pair have made an allegation about a £1million Single Regeneration Budget grant from September 2000, which they say was meant for Bank Top.

They claim the £1million has not been used for the community, despite letters from the council informing them that was where it was heading.

Today the council said it abided by strict financial monitoring procedures which are in place for external funding and did not feel there was any cause for concern.

The council has referred the matter to its external auditors -- Leeds-based company Robson Rhodes, which will discuss the matter with Mr Duxbury and Mr Newton next month.

Mr Duxbury said: "We are fighting for the rate-payers of Bank Top and the rate-payers of Blackburn as a whole."

Mr Duxbury and Mr Newton were vice-chairman and chairman, respectively, of the Bank Top Community Association when they were disbanded by Blackburn with Darwen Council in November 2001.

They were accused of poor book-keeping and accounting errors and were asked to step aside by the council.

They initially refused but today the association is under a newly-elected officer team. The association covers 40,000 residents and is one of 18 in the borough eligible for council funding.

Mr Newton, 60, admitted the association did get behind on its book-keeping under his guidance, but felt the officers' reputations had been blackened by the treatment they received from the council.

They complained to the local government ombudsman but the ombudsman found in September last year there had been no maladministration by the council.

Graham Burgess, executive director for the council, said: "The council has strict financial monitoring procedures in place for its external funding.

"Nevertheless Mr Newton and Mr Duxbury's allegations are currently being looked into by the council's external auditors.

"A meeting has taken place and information provided and, while we do not feel there is any cause for concern, we are co-operating with the external auditors to avoid any doubt."